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The Florida Gators are moving on in the NCAA Tournament, but they didn’t make it easy on themselves.
Florida owned a second half lead of 18 points but sat back and watched as Nevada roared to get within two in the late stages of the game.
The Gators led 54-37 after a Noah Locke three-pointer with 11:01 remaining, but Nevada didn’t give up. Behind a barrage of offensive rebounds and second chances, the Wolf Pack responded with a 10-2 run that put Nevada within ten points.
With 3:30 remaining Nevada F Caleb Martin sank a pair of free throws to make it a 61-59 game.
Andrew Nembhard hit a layup with 1:38 left and Dontay Bassett dunked to put Florida up 67-61 with :47 seconds that essentially sealed the victory for Florida.
Fast stats:
Keyontae Johnson recorded his third career double-double, finishing with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Kevarrius Hayes finished with a team high 16 points, but fouled out in the final minutes.
Jalen Hudson added 15 points on 5-13 from the field and 3-7 from three-point land.
The Gators shot 45% and held Nevada to 35% from the floor.
Nevada outrebounded Florida 40-31 with a 19-10 edge in offensive boards.
What’s next:
Florida isn’t done yet. The Gators will face the winner of the #2 Michigan-#15 Montana game.
Check back for an update and keep an eye out for our preview coming tomorrow evening.
Florida is set to face the Nevada Wolf Pack Thursday at 6:50 PM. The game will be aired on TNT from Des Moines, Iowa.
With such an intriguing matchup, we decided to do a roundtable of predictions from local sports journalists.
Graham Hall:
Of all the NCAA Tournament’s first round matchups, No. 10-seed Florida vs. No. 7-seed Nevada is one of the more interesting ones on paper. Nevada’s lengthy starting line-up features five senior transfers, led by Jordan Caroline. The 6-foot-7 forward is averaging 17.3 points and 9.6 rebounds per game this season, and he’ll surely be a handful for UF’s defense. Expect Nevada to switch often on defense, crash the boards and push the tempo on offense. The Gators will also have their hands full with Caleb and Cody Martin. The 6-foot-7 twins can do it all for Nevada — just ask senior Jalen Hudson. The Martins and Hudson burst onto the basketball scene together as AAU teammates on Richmond’s Team Loaded, with the three all becoming coveted prospects. While at Virginia Tech, Hudson competed against the Martins, who played their first two seasons in college at North Carolina State, four times, with the Hokies and Wolf Pack splitting the series 2-2. I’m eager to see the score settled Thursday.FLORIDA 66-62.
Graham is a correspondent for the Gainesville Sun, follow him on Twitter @GrahamHall_
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Photo by David Becker / Getty Images
Jake Hitt:
It’ll be a difficult one for Florida, one of their most difficult to date. Nevada is a team with a lot of experience considering it brought everyone back from that Sweet 16 run in 2018. Not only that but they have a lot of size. Nevada is the polar opposite team of a Florida squad that starts three freshmen and plays with one of the NCAA’s smaller lineups.
Florida has been playing it’s best basketball of the season. So I expect the Gators to be stay in it and be competitive as they have this season with teams they don’t necessarily match up well against. It’s the tournament so you never know but I’m not sure if Florida makes it’s out of the first round this time. NEVADA70-65.
Jake is a senior journalism student at UF who is a beat writer for WRUF – ESPN Gainesville. Follow him on Twitter @Jake_Hitt06
__________ Mark Stine:
Nevada will beat Florida because…
The Wolfpack has more experience, more size and more reliable scoring.
All of Nevada’s starters are seniors and 6-foot-7 or above. They each average 4.5 rebounds or more as well. Keyontae Johnson and Kevarrius Hayes are the only players on the UF roster that register rebounds at or above that clip.
Nevada also averages 80.7 points per game compared to 68.3 by Florida. It has four players averaging over 11 points per game, and guard Caleb Martin leads the Pack with a 19.2 average. KeVaughn is the only Gator to average double digits.
The UF defense will be the best the Wolf Pack has seen all season, so the game will be close. But Nevada’s offense is a little too potent, and it’ll emerge victorious. NEVADA 74-69.
Mark is the sports editor at The Independent Florida Alligator. Follow him on Twitter @mstinejr
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Photo by Dylan Buell / Getty Images
Brandon Buckman:
Nevada and Florida will be an interesting match up, I actually believe Nevada may be the best 7 seed ever. Florida has their hands full with Jordan Caroline and the Martin twins, that trio will cause match up nightmares for the Gators. I’ll be looking to see what KeVaughn Allen and Jalen Hudson show up in the tournament, but even at their best Nevada is still the better team this year. Wolf Pack Head Coach Eric Musselman will lead his team on another tournament run. NEVADA 75-64.
Brandon is a contributor for ChompTalk.com that specializes in college basketball. Follow Brandon on Twitter: @GatorBuckman
__________ Michael Pfeffer:
This has been an interesting season for the Gators. You’re never quite sure which version of the team will take the court on a game to game basis. Yet despite their Jekkyl and Hyde nature, Mike White’s squad has fared pretty well when their backs are against the wall. If not for a terrible no call in the semi-final of the SEC tournament, they may have actually contended for an SEC Championship against all odds. I believe this team has gelled at just the right time and they are fortunate to have drawn Nevada in the opening round. Nevada is a dangerous team but it’s one that Florida matches well. If the Gators play their brand of defense and make good choices with their shot selection, they will win this game. San Diego State has already shown that this style of play can take Nevada down… twice. On top of that, Florida has history on their side. The ten seed has won better than 70% of their match-ups with seven seeds. I like the Gators to play the Cinderella role. FLORIDA 65-61.
Michael is a beat writer for ChompTalk.com and has helped contribute to the basketball coverage on the site. Follow Michael on Twitter @MikeyPfeffer
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#10-seeded teams have actually beaten #7-seeded teams 70% of the time over the last ten years in the NCAA Tournament.
Brian Fox:
Such an intriguing matchup. The job Eric Musselman has done at Nevada since taking over is incredible. He’s changed the entire landscape of Wolf Pack basketball. Musselman has done so by taking high impact transfers, which makes up the entirety of the Nevada starting lineup. Musselman, however, has also had recruiting successes along the way. In the last recruiting cycle, the staff was able to land 5-star PF Jordan Brown. Several Gators fans have actually mentioned Musselman when asked who they would want if Mike White was fired (on their suggestion, not mine).
Nevada uses an eight man rotation, but will rely on heavy minutes from their starters, all of whom average 26+. Jordan Caroline is the most underrated player on the team (and possibly the nation), but he missed the Pack’s last game with an injured foot. Caroline, however will be in the lineup and is a matchup nightmare for an undersized Gators squad. Caroline told the media on Wednesday that he is feeling, “fresh.”
The length of Nevada will be an issue, but so will stopping an offense that averages 80.7 points per game and only gives up 66.7. The Wolf Pack also only turn the ball over 10.2 times per game. The Gators must control the tempo and keep the clock moving. In three of Nevada’s four losses they scored less than 60 (58,57,56), in their wins the team averages 83.2 points per game.
I just don’t believe the Gators can play at the same pace over the course of an entire game. If Florida goes through one of their mid-game slumps, the Pack will pounce. It’s a fun matchup, but this is exactly what Caroline and the Martin twins came back to school for. I see Nevada getting by Florida and likely upsetting Michigan to advance to the Sweet 16. NEVADA 81-67.
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What do you think the final score will be?
Make sure to follow @ChompTalk on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest on the University of Florida men’s basketball team.
Florida softball rebounded from a series loss in Baton Rouge with a 2-0 win over #20 ranked Minnesota on Wednesday.
Kendyl Lindaman, in her first at-bat against her former team, hit a line drive homer over the left field fence that also scored Amanda Lorenz and gave starting pitcher Kelly Barnhill all the support she needed.
Barnhill struggled the first time through the order as she allowed two baserunners in the first and second innings. Barnhill settled down and in the fourth inning she became just the second player in Florida softball history to record 1,000 strikeouts.
Barnhill sailed through the final five innings allowing only a single and a walk and struck out the final five batters she faced to secure the victory.
Quotable:
Head coach Tim Walton: “Kelly did good…made the right adjustments…”
“1,000 is a big accomplishment.”
Pitcher Kelly Barnhill: “I wasn’t thinking about (#1,000)… I’m proud and happy, but none of this could have happened without my teammates, catchers, and coaches.”
DP Kendyl Lindaman: “It feels good. It was a good moment…I put a lot of hard work into this.”
“I wasn’t looking for a certain pitch, but having caught her so much and being in a hitter’s count, I knew a good pitch was coming.”
What’s next:
Florida will face Mercer in non-conference action for a Saturday-Sunday series. Coach Walton stated he was going to see how Kelly is feeling before determining who would get the starts this weekend, but also hinted at playing more players on the field.
The only thing separating the Gators from a date with Tennessee in the SEC Championship game was a blown call by the referees at the end of Florida’s three-point loss to eventual SEC Tournament Champion Auburn. The call, had it been in Florida’s favor, would have given Andrew Nembhard three free throws to potentially tie the game and send it to overtime.
The day before, the Gators upset #9 LSU for the second time this season, and was likely the win that solidified Florida’s spot at a third consecutive NCAA tournament appearance under Head Coach Mike White. Three straight tourney bids is the second longest active streak among SEC teams, Kentucky is now at six straight years of dancing in March.
The Opponent: Nevada
Photo by David Becker / Getty Images
The Gators look to continue their hot streak in the underdog role heading into the big dance. The first challenge? The Nevada Wolf Pack. A very tough opponent for the Gators in round one, as Nevada is currently 29-4, senior heavy, and very hungry, especially after losing 69-68 in last years Sweet 16 to Loyola-Chicago.
Nevada is one of the best teams in the country at turning defense into offense. The Wolf Pack posses a 14 point differential between offense and defense compared to Florida’s 4.7. Nevada is led by the trio of Jordan Caroline (17.3ppg, 9.6rpg), and the Martin twins, Caleb (19.2ppg, 5.1rpg) and Cody (11.7ppg, 4.5rpg, 5.1apg), all of whom are NBA prospects.
The Martin twins actually played AAU ball with Florida senior guard Jalen Hudson, who texted his former teammates upon learning of the matchup.
Outlook
Both teams have a major focus on the defensive end, and both teams have the ability to put the ball in the basket, though Nevada does it much more consistently.
It will be interesting to see which Florida shows up, SEC tournament Gators, or lackadaisical Gators that slept their way to a .500 conference record.
An interesting fact to note is that, since 2013, the ten seeds have won 71% of games against seven seeds in the NCAA tournament. Mike White and company have the perfect opportunity to write a Cinderella story, but the Gators first round game is no cupcake, in fact, once again, Florida will play as the underdog.
The Florida Gators completed a 14-game homestand with a 13-8 victory over in-state rival Jacksonville.
Freshman RHP Nolan Crisp earned the win in his first collegiate start by going 4 innings and allowing only one baserunner while striking out two.
Florida got on the board early and often, scoring three in the first and third innings before adding two runs in the fourth and three in the fifth to take a 11-2 lead into the sixth inning.
Maldonado started the scoring with an RBI single that scored Jacob Young. 1B Kendrick Calilao added an RBI single before Maldonado scored on an error to open the scoring in the first.
The third inning saw Brady McConnell score on a Calilao sacrifice fly to center before a Cory Acton single scored Maldonado from third. Wil Dalton scored on a wild pitch to complete the scoring in the third frame.
In the fourth, Austin Langworthy and Brady Smith led off the inning with walks and with came around to score. Langworthy scored on Young’s single while Smith was plated on a SAC fly by McConnell.
The fifth inning was highlighted by Langworthy’s homer that saw the score balloon to 9-2.
The Dolphins didn’t make it easy on the Gators though. JU fought back with 3-run homers in consecutive innings that pushed Jacksonville within three runs at 11-8.
McConnell hit a two-run shot that landed in the bleachers beyond the left field wall and gave UF some breathing room at 13-8.
Fast stats:
Florida’s 1-3 hitters went 9-12 with a walk and a hit batter in addition to the homer and 7 RBI.
McConnell finished 3-3 with a homer and 4 RBI
Freshman Jacob Young went 3-4 with 3 runs scored and an RBI.
The Florida Gators needed a win Monday night in Baton Rouge. However, in large part thanks to a terrible call by an umpire, Florida heads home with a 2-4 record in conference play after two weekends.
The Tigers and Gators split the first two contests of the weekend, setting up the Monday rubber match.
Kendyl Lindaman started things off with a two run blast in the first inning that spotted Kelly Barnhill (15-3) a nice lead before she ever took her place in the circle.
LSU got one back in the third inning after a pair of Barnhill walks and an RBI single by Shelbi Sunseri.
Then LSU tied the game up on an egregious missed call. The Tigers had runners on first and third and two outs when Amber Serrett hit a ground ball to second base. Gators 2B Hannah Adams mishandled the hop, but rifled the ball over to first in time for the final out.
Except that’s not how the first base umpire, Ron Alexander, saw it. Alexander signaled safe which allowed the tying run to score. This forced Florida head coach Tim Walton to protest the call, but to no avail. Adams gets credited with the first error of her career on a play she clearly gunned down the runner.
Softball vs. LSU, 2019.
Florida leads LSU 2-1. Ground ball to Hannah Adams, who throws the runner out to end the inning. Except the first base ump can’t bear to lose the $50,000 he bet on LSU, so he calls the runner safe. LSU then walks it off in the 7th to win the series. pic.twitter.com/Ed7ZJPSmIV
— InAllKindsOfWeather.com 🍑🥣🏆 (@AllKindsWeather) March 19, 2019
LSU carried the momentum of the tied game into the seventh inning. After a strikeout, LSU got a runner on via a bunt single and sure enough, a double to left center scored the game winning run.
Sure, Florida had opportunities to extend the lead throughout the game. The Gators went 2-15 (.133) with runners on base. But the fact is, an umpire decided an important conference game with a simple blown call that was obvious to anyone who was watching.
The Florida Gators are in the tournament! Despite a 19-15 record the Gators have been selected by the NCAA Tournament.
Florida earns the #10 seed in the West Region. The Gators will face Nevada who finished 29-4 on the season and features five senior starters.
Florida and the Wolf Pack are set for a 6:50 PM (EST) tip-off from Des Moines, Iowa on Thursday.
The Gators are led by senior guard KeVaughn Allen who averaged 12.0 points per game. Florida has also received major contributions from freshmen Andrew Nembhard, Noah Locke, and Keyontae Johnson.
Florida senior Jalen Hudson has also turned it up over the last few weeks as Florida needed to win multiple games in the SEC Tournament to secure a bid.
USA Today projects the Gators as the #11 seed in the East Region. Florida would face defending National Champions Villanova in the opening round in Hartford, CT.
SI.com has Florida as the #10 seed in the Midwest with a date against #7 seed Cincinnati. This matchup would give Cincy a nice home court advantage with Columbus being the host site.
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We will know Florida’s fate in just a few hours. A #10 seed sounds intriguing because Jacksonville is a host site for both the South and West brackets for the 7-10 game.
Where would you like to see Florida play and who do you want them to take on in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament?
Follow @ChompTalk on Facebook and Twitter for all the latest on the Florida Gators men’s basketball post-season run.
Gainesville, FL – The Gators played host to Mississippi State this weekend to open SEC play but the Bulldogs weren’t good house guests. Florida’s hot streak came to an abrupt end on Friday, despite some late game heroics. Due to unfavorable weather conditions for Sunday, the two teams were forced to play a double-header on Saturday, which they split
Game One:
Sophomore pitcher, Tommy Mace was dealt his first loss on the season. Through the first four innings, he allowed only one baserunner by way of a walk but the Bulldogs managed to get on the board when Justin Foscue cranked a solo shot to the parking lot in the fifth. Mace left the game in the seventh inning after giving up the lead in the sixth.
The Bulldogs added on to their lead in the top of the ninth when Elijah MacNamee connected on a two-run double that put them up 6-2.
Florida continued to fight as they began a rally that was ignited by a leadoff walk by Wil Dalton. Austin Langworthy’s single brought Dalton home and pinch hitter Blake Reese managed an RBI single to cut the deficit to two.
Reese was brought in by Kirby McMullen’s sac fly but this would be as close as Florida would come in their rally bid.
Game Two:
Game two wasn’t much better as the Gators fell behind early and never really threatened. Jack Leftwich fell to 4-1 as he gave up five earned runs, including a pair of home runs.
It wasn’t until the bottom of the sixth, when Miss St. had a five run cushion, that the Gators found the scoreboard. Austin Langworthy brought Wil Dalton home on an RBI single. Pinch hitter, Jordan Butler ended the inning for Florida when he struck out, stranding a runner on base.
The seventh inning saw a minor offensive explosion for the Gators who put up a trifecta before their side was retired. Brady McConnell brought in a pair of RBI’s with a ground-rule double to right field and was later batted in by freshman, Kendrick Calilao. Calilao’s RBI single made the score 7-4, and it remained that way until the final inning.
In the top half of the ninth, Miss State took advantage of an error by Brady McConnell, scoring two runs on the play. Justin Foscue scored the Bulldogs’ final run, unearned.
With a 10-4 deficit, the Gators were facing long odds to rally for a win and in the end, those odds were just too long. Kris Armstrong closed out the scoring for the Gators with a solo homerun and Kevin O’Sullivan’s squad dropped their second game of the series.
Game Three:
On the back-end of the doubleheader and the series, Florida played a strong defensive game to keep from being swept. Tyler Dyson earned the win, while Christian Scott was able to secure the save in the Gators’ 4-2 victory.
In all, Dyson faced twenty-five batters giving up just six hits and a pair of runs in 6.1 innings.
Nelson Maldonaldo bookended Florida’s offensive production, scoring first on a balk and then on a solo homerun in the bottom of the fifth. Other Gators scorers were Wil Dalton and Kris Armstrong.
Up next, Florida will take on Jacksonville University this Tuesday night at 6:00 p.m. at Alfred A. McKethan Stadium.
The fate of the Florida Gators basketball team is now in the hands of the NCAA tournament committee.
Despite shooting better than 60% from the floor and outrebounding Auburn by 15 boards, Florida took the 65-62 loss, largely due to 19 turnovers. The Tigers converted those turnovers into 20 points on the other end.
Even with the lopsided turnover margin (Auburn only turned the ball over four times), Florida had a shot at the end of the game.
Auburn’s Jared Harper made 1-2 from the line that put the Tigers up three. Keyontae Johnson grabbed the rebound and found Andrew Nembhard across the timeline. As Nembhard went up for a last second trey, three Auburn players converged for what appeared to be an intentional foul. Somehow the official standing right in front of the play missed at least two of those Tigers players grabbing Nembhard as he went up for the shot.
Instead the ball never reached the net and the game clock expired as an irate Mike White barked at the official who missed the call.
What gets lost here is that Florida shouldn’t have been in this position. The Gators shot 70% in the first half and should have owned a much larger lead than they did at 34-30. The Gators just couldn’t stop turning the ball over.
The turnover margin created a huge disparity in the field goal attempts as well. Florida attempted only 38 shots while Auburn chucked up 56.
Fast stats:
Kevarrius Hayes had one of his finest games in the orange and blue finishing with 16 points and 12 board but also contributed five turnovers.
Jalen Hudson also added 16 points and did so on 5-6 shooting and 4-5 from the charity stripe.
Florida shot 70% in the first half and followed that up with 50% in the second half.
The Gators made 10-12 from the free throw line while Auburn only attempted 5 free throws (making two).
What’s next:
Florida will learn their fate in the NCAA selection show on Sunday.
Follow @ChompTalk on Facebook and Twitter for all the latest involving the Florida men’s basketball team.
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